Mail-bag catcher.



No. 853,572. PATENTE 14, 1907.

Y G. Hmmm & B. s@ RoGRs.

Y MMLJBAG emanan.

@smul-ow 6. ezzlzer Y S@ 62a,

@afm

Stroms@ Gl EN N B ENNER A ND B UHR S,

RUGERS, OF LlNUSICY, (111K).

MAIL-BAG CATCHER.

Speeication of' Letters Patent. Patented May 14, 1907.

Application filed August l, 1906. Serial No. 328,779*

Bo it known that we, GLENN BENNEH unil Bunn S. Romans. citizens of the United States, residing nt liinglsey, in the county of Sandusky and State of OhioY have inventori new nini useful lniproiv'en'lents in ll-lnil-Bng Catchers, of which the followiinrV is e. speciliottion.

This invention relates to mail heg csteh ers; neil the prinripel object of the inv. tion is to provirie e device of this class With n locking iievice, eilnpteql to securely hohl the mail bag or pouch when the latter is eng-igen by the catcher, preventing rebound of such bag or pouch, and the consequent (lnger of its being thrown to the ground enel gronnel to pie-ees under the wheels of the trein.

A further ohjec i of the invention is to iinprve end to siniplifxvv the construction and operati on of the looking device, intl to render the latter ehsolutely certain and eiiieient in operetion.

A. still further ohjeet of the invention is to revisie e sim )le and improved ineens for nnatching or reieasing the looking device in order to enable the bag or poueh to he eonvenientlj,r detached freni the Catcher.

Further objects of the invention vfire to simplify anti improve the general construction and operation of the parts of the rlevioe.

Vlith these anni other ends in view, which will readily eppearns the nature of the invention is better understood, the seme consiste in the improved construction and novel arrangement and Combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and parH tioulsrly pointed out in the elaiins.

In the accompanying drawings hes been illus tinted e simple and preferred forni of the invention; it being, however, understood that no limitation is neeesserilhyy mede to the precise details therein exhibited, changes, alterations en modifications Within the scope of the invention may he resorted to, when desired.

In the drawings,-l4`igure 1 is a top plan view of s inail heg catcher constructed in nceordenee with the principles of the invention. Fig. 2 is s sectional detail view of s portion of the saine. Fig. 3 is n. perspective detail view of the tri -lever used for releesiiigr t e spring catch of the locking device.

,Jorresponding parts in the severe-l figures are indicated hy like characters of reference.

r he improved inail bag Catcher comprises a body member A which consists of a nesting I I i I it may he rocked so es inelurliner two sleeves 1 nml disposed nt an soute :ingle to each other. The sleeve 1 engages s. rock slnil't Il, upon which it is mounted lor oscillution in the usuel nnmner, sind rocleslniit exteruling' ti'itnsversely miross the floor opening 4 ol the mail ser, i portion of the freine of which is shown et ln the sleeve is mounted the inner end of the reicher-erin (j, whioh is provided with nr hook or recess 7 for the reception ot the narrow portion of the mail heg or pouch. The sleeve 1 is provided with e hnnfile 8, whereby to swing the pouch or beg through the door opening end into the eer, in the usual manner,

The hook portion if' of @einher-erin is provifiesl with e horizentei slot or recess 9 VTwherein is fulcruineai e locking lever 10; seid lever hns at its front end su erin 11 srlepterl to extend across the inonth of the hook 7 and into :t recess 12 forn'ieri in the wall of the sleeve portion 2 of the casting A; the erin 11 has s. terniinnl hook 13 edepted to be engaged h v :in opposing hook 14 formed upon Ye resilient member ol spring 15 Whieh is suitably secured within the recess 12. The hook nieinhers 13 sini 14 ere oppositely .beveled so that they will automatically engage one another when the hooked end of the erin 11 moves within the recess 12.

t the rear end of the lever 1U there is formed an arm 16 which is adapted to ride Within that portion of the slot .L which eX- tends through the curved portion er inner enel of the hook 7 5 that is to say, the erln 164, will he seen by reference to Fig. 2, oceupies this position when the erin 11 extends across the mouth of the .hook 7. When the erm 11 having the hook 13 is disengaged from the hook 14, the lover l() will swing upon its fnlcrnni, under the inlzpulse of n suit- 4 ably arranged spring 17 bearing against the arm 1G, until the latter swings to the position show-n in Fig. l of the drawings, Within the recess portion of the hook While the erin 11 strings ont through the slot Si, to en unobstrueting position with relation to the mouth of the hook 7, as clearly indicated in Fig. 1. designates a trip-leverj having s. pivot portion 18, whereby it is fuierunied in the Well of the casting A in such :i manner as to extend within the recess 12 of seid nesting Where it is provided with en arm 19 adapted te beer against the hooked spring member 15; the opposite or outer end of the member 1S has en erin 20 which is connected by a link IOO IIO

2t with one arm 22 ol' a bell-crank which is pivoted upon the handle S; the other arm ol said hell-crank constituting a thumb-piece 32% whereby it may he conveniently manipu-` against the arm lo', thus instantly swinging the lever 1U upon itspivot, causing thehooked arm 'l1 to swing into the recess l2 where it engages the spring catch 14, thus holding the vpouch or bag securely and positively preventing it trom rebounding. The handle 8 is now manipulated to swing the bag into the mail car where it is released. by a slight,pres sure upon the thumb piece 33, whereby the trip-lever is operated to cause the arm 1.) to displace the spring l5 until the hook or catch 14- at the free end of said spring is disengaged from the hooked end l ot' the arm 1t ot lever 1t); the latter being instantly restored to normal position. through the agency of the spring 17.

From the. foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings hereunto annexed, the operation and advantages of this invention will be readily understood. The device simple in construction, and thoroughly e'tlieient l'or the purposes for which it is provided.

What is claimed is I '1. A mail bag catcher comprising a` rock shaft, a sleeve mounted upon the rock shaft and provided with a` handle, a sleeve extending at an angle to the {irst mentioned sleeve, a hook mounted in the last mentioned sleeve and said hook provided with a slot, a lever pivoted in said slot and having terminal When a mail bag or pouch is caught hy the device, it wlll press arms, one olI which may be moved into an ob structing position across the mouth olI the receiving hook, a spring latch seated in a recess in the sleeve and a terminal hool\Y upon the obstruction arm l'or engaging said latch, substantially as described.

L. ln a mail bag catcher, a body casting', a ..atr'her-arm having a receiving hook eonnected with said casting and provided with a slot, a lever pivoted in said slot and having at one end an obstructing arm adapted to lie across the mouth ot' the hook and at the other end a bag-engaging arm that is eoniined within the slot when the former arm oecupies an obstructing position, springs aetuat ing the lever to swing the bag-engaging arm within the recess of' the hook and theobstrueh ing arm to a non-ohstructing position, a spring catch within a recess in the body easting, a terminal hook upon the obstructing arm adapted to engage the spring catch, and means for moving the latter to a non-engaging position.

3. .ln a mail bag catcher, a body casting having a handle, a catehenarm having a receiving hook connected with the body casting and provided with a slot, a spring-actuated lever ]'iivoted in said` slot and having an obstructing arm and a bag-engaging arm, a spring catch secured. in a recess in the body casting and adapted for engagement with a terminal hook upon the obstructing arm, a trip lever pivoted in the body casting and having a. spring catch engaging member at its inner end, and an arm at its outer end, a. bell-crank pivoted upon the handle. of the body member, and a link connecting one arm of said bell-crank with the arm at the outer end of the trip lever.

ln testimony whereof, we alliX our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

, GLENN BENNER. I BURR` S. ROGERS.

Titnesses I- G. G. BOWERS, H. M. HAAs. 

